Odisha Train Accident: Stoppages To Resume At Bahanaga Bazar Soon

Bhubaneswar: Train stoppages will soon resume at Bahanaga Bazar in Odisha’s Balasore district after completion of signaling work at the station where the horrific triple-train tragedy occurred on June 2.

Though train services were resumed on the mainline between Bhadrak and Kharagpur following repair of tracks after the deadly train accident, there is no stoppage at Bahanaga railway station at present in view of the ongoing investigation into the crash.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been conducting a probe to ascertain the circumstances that led to the train crash that claimed the lives of 292 people and left over 1100 injured. The probe aims at ascertaining the cause of the accident.

The CBI had sealed the station after seizing the log book, relay panel and other equipment. As relay interlocking panel was sealed prohibiting access of the staff at the station to the most important part of the signalling system, no passenger or goods train now stop at Bahanaga Bazar.

The Bahanaga Bazar station will become functional with train stoppages once the signaling work is complete, according to chief public relations officer of South Eastern Railway A K Chaudhary.

At present one train is being run in a 20km section and after the completion of signalling work, two trains with 10km each section can be run. In this way, congestion  can be avoided, he said.

Trains are now running at a restricted speed while crossing the accident site.

Meanwhile, railways will cancel as many as 43 trains passing through Bahanaga Bazar station on Saturday and Sunday in view of signalling work, sources said.

According to reports, 170 trains pass through the Bahanaga Bazar railway station on a daily basis and only seven passenger trains, including Bhadrak-Balasore MEMU, Howrah Bhadrak Baghajatin Fast Passenger, Kharagpur Khurda road fast passenger, stop there everyday for a minute.